Job Title:
Senior NPD Manager
Location:
Bantry
The Role
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced
Senior NPD Manager
to join a fast-paced FMCG food manufacturing business supplying branded and private-label products to the Irish and European retail markets.
This is a
senior leadership role
, responsible for
overseeing and developing a team of NPD Technologists and NPD Account Managers
, while owning the end-to-end delivery of innovation and renovation projects.
The role will work closely with Technical, Production, Commercial, and Sales functions to ensure all products are delivered safely, legally, on time, and in line with customer and business expectations.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Management
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of
NPD Technologists and NPD Account Managers
, ensuring clear objectives, accountability, and performance delivery
Provide technical leadership, coaching, and training to drive capability, consistency, and best practice across the NPD function
Set priorities, allocate resources, and manage workload across multiple concurrent projects
Own and drive
NPD and EPD projects
from concept through to launch, ensuring cross-functional collaboration
Ensure all products meet agreed
quality, safety, legal, and customer standards
Manage and enforce compliance with the
stage-gate NPD process
, embedding Lean NPD principles
Own project plans and critical paths, ensuring delivery in line with
Customer Development Plans
Oversee line extensions, reformulations, and packaging changes from brief to launch
Customer & Commercial Interface
Act as a senior NPD contact for
key retail customers
, supporting and leading customer meetings, presentations, and project reviews
Work closely with Commercial and Sales teams to ensure NPD activity aligns with customer strategies and commercial objectives
Support cost optimisation, value engineering, and margin improvement initiatives
Technical, Quality & Continuous Improvement
Ensure full compliance with
food safety legislation, internal policies, and customer standards
Protect and continuously improve both
product quality and manufacturing processes
Drive
continuous improvement initiatives
within the Innovation function
Lead and contribute to innovative
R&D projects
, including new ingredients, technologies, and processes
Monitor market trends, emerging technologies, and consumer insights to shape future innovation pipelines
The Ideal Candidate
Degree qualified in
Food Technology, Food Science, or a related discipline
Minimum
5 years' experience
in food product development within FMCG, with proven leadership responsibility
Demonstrated experience
managing and developing NPD teams
in a commercial environment
Strong project management capability with experience handling
multiple customer-led projects
Excellent communicator with the ability to influence at all levels, internally and externally
Commercially aware, organised, and detail-focused
Confident operating in a fast-paced, customer-driven manufacturing environment
Technical & Functional Experience
Strong working knowledge of
BRC, HACCP, allergen management, and food safety systems
In-depth understanding of
food legislation and legal labelling requirements
Experience with
retailer specification and customer systems
(e.g. TTL, HG, Igloo, or similar)
Supplier selection, management, and negotiation
Product quality optimisation and benchmarking
Application of
Lean NPD and continuous improvement techniques
Product and packaging
cost modelling and value engineering
Strong understanding of
pack copy approval processes
and packaging management tools
Knowledge of
R&D tax credits or funding applications
is advantageous
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Manufacturing
Industries
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
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